Future Internet: Cloud-Based Open Business Models

Cloud-based technological solutions are expected to play a key role in the near future due to their pervasiveness and the possibility they show to spur processes of economic growth by increasing efficiency and favoring differentiated business applications. However, in order to exploit such possibilities, firms need to define and adopt appropriate business models. By analyzing the case of an EU cloud platform, we discuss which business models can be adopted by different actors involved in the development and usage of cloud-based platforms. We show that such platforms represent general purpose technologies, which allow new forms of division of labor among technology suppliers and technology users, with positive returns for both types of actors.